


Fathers & Daughters

by Vashti (tvashti)



Series: My Father's Child [6]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: 2017 Twisted Shorts Ficathon, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Community: twistedshorts, Confessions, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Gen Work, Pre-Series, Real Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-17 01:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13648584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvashti/pseuds/Vashti
Summary: Just as Buffy's world is settling, Bruce's is falling apart.





	Fathers & Daughters

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the August 2017 Twisted Short ficathon. Takes place somewhere before The Incredible Hulk (2008) and post-series for Buffy.

"H-hey. Hi. Um…this message is for Buffy Summers or her sister Dawn Summers. Please let them know that their, um, their, uh, Bruce called. Yeah, I guess I'm still their Bruce.

"Sorry I'm just going on and on and no one likes a long voicemail. Just let Buffy and Dawn--."

Buffy snatched up the phone. "Bruce! Bruce?"

"Buffy." He sounded relieved. "I'm so glad I got you."

"Bruce, what's wrong?" He was her biological father and, as far as he knew, in no way related to Dawn, but he'd always treated both girls as if they were his daughters, particularly after Hank took himself out of the picture.

"Why do you think something is wrong?"

"Bruce. You never want to talk to just me or just Dawn. You've been asking after both of us since before Mom and Dad brought Dawnie home from the hospital instead of the puppy I wanted. Something has got you wigged. Spill."

He took a deep, ragged breath.

Goosebumps erupted all over Buffy's skin as her face crumpled. The last time he'd made that sound, she'd just told him that her mother had died. "Bruce?" 

"I'm so sorry, Buffy. I've let you girls down."

Trying halfheartedly to lighten the mood, she said, "You've decided to follow in Hank's footsteps and run away with the secretary?"

"Buffy…"

"Don't 'Buffy' me when you're the one who's being all cryptic scary guy! What's going on?"

"I don't know how to say it."

"Just spit it out!" she snapped. Her free hand immediately flew to her mouth. "Bruce! Bruce, I’m sorry. You're freaking me out, but that's so not a reason to yell at you."

On the other side of the line, she could hear him breathing heavily, but he didn't respond.

"Bruce, I--"

"Give me a moment. Sweetheart."

That tacked on endearment made her shiver. Listening to Bruce audibly trying to control his temper, Buffy tried to control her own panic. She knew that he had a temper. She'd seen him go off on her parents -- Hank in particular -- and he'd told her some stories about her bio-grandad (the tame ones probably), but he had never, never gotten angry at her or Dawn even when they probably deserved to have someone be angry at them.

Bruce took a deep breath through his nose and let it out through his nose. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I didn't ever want you to see that part of me."

"I know. Bruce, I know. But I also know that I've been way, way brattier and you've kept your cool."

"There was that one time I popped you in the forehead."

"I'd popped you first, and you were, like, a million times nicer about it when you got me back."

Bruce chuckled on the other side of the line, sounding like himself for the first time since he'd started leaving that voicemail.

"Are you ready to tell me what's going on now?"

Bruce took another deep breath, and exhaled a long, "No. But I have to anyway. Remember when I told you and Dawn that I was working on a project for the government?"

"Yeah, with Betsy. Bruce, if you broke up with Betsy it is not that big. Yeah, Dawnie and I love her, but you're the one that has to love her, not us. The Eighth Grade Amendment to the SGA allows for dissolution of relationships without prior daughter approval."

Chuckling, Bruce said, "For which I have been very grateful. No, Buffy, this is more serious than my relationship with Betsy. Who is still amazing but…probably won't want to be with me anymore.

"Buffy, that project was trying to create super soldiers. And, like the egotistical idiot that I am, I…I tested it on myself."

"You what?!"

"I--"

"I heard you. By 'what' I mean, what does that mean? Are you okay? You're calling me, so you must be okay. Are you in the hospital?" Buffy's chest clenched within her. It felt like her mom all over again. It felt like battling cancer all over again. "Omigod, do I need to leave Cleveland? I'll call Dawn and we'll pack tonight and we--" 

"Buffy! Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, my love. Please slow down, sweetheart. I'm…" 

He took another one of those deep ragged breaths and Buffy felt the shudder go through her, too.

"I'm more okay than not, but the process…changed me. My temper is shorter than ever. Everything I learned about self-control is…is…it's gone."

"Thats fixa--"

"But the worst part is, is that when I lose my temper, I turn into a giant green monster that is the…the embodiment of all my anger and rage."

Buffy felt the Slayer within rear her head. Forcibly stuffing it down, she said, "There has to be a way."

"I hope so. I think…I think he really only reacts to threats. To me or to him."

"Him?"

"The jolly green giant."

Buffy laughed mirthlessly.

"I, uh, I hurt Betsy."

"Bruce!"

"But I don't think he did it on purpose. She was there and--"

"Like collateral damage?"

"Yeah," Bruce said quietly. "But I don't know for sure. So I'm following some leads down to South America to see if I can cure this…thing I've done to myself."

"Oh, Bruce."

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"I am, too. I wish I could hug you right now."

"I don't deserve you."

Buffy's throat closed up. "Bruce. I, uh, know some people? Who know weird and interesting things. If they find something I'll let you know."

"That does explain why you’re taking this so well. I'll call you when I get settled."

"Don't worry, I'll find you. No matter where you end up, I will find you, Bruce. Just like you found me. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Buffy."

"I love you, too."

"Tell Dawn?"

"That you love her? Always."

At least, Buffy thought, he was laughing when he hung up the phone.

Fin[ite]


End file.
